The Game Changer
by Amethyst Jewels
Summary: Being an idol is not always fun, glamorous & free. Minako is considering giving up a vital part of her life until someone comes into her life & becomes a game changer.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Don't freak out! I didn't forget about where you belong! I just got a plot bunny for this one at work during a day shift so I wrote this! It took me over a week due to work & mommy duties but it's here! Enjoy!

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**The Game Changer**

Chapter One: A star is torn

Minako sighed as she closed the cover on her iPad & put it on her nightstand. She had been checking her business email before bed & the record company wants her to squeeze in nine promotional appearances before her new album comes out. As if she wasn't busy enough already! She just finished recording the album a week ago & they're pushing for an early release to capitalize on the summer season.

Her mother warned her that being in the entertainment industry was hard work & tiring but she didn't know how lonely it was! After leaving thousands of fans screaming your name, you come home to an empty house & dead silence. Well…it was better than her mother's incessant yelling. Her mother stopped working when Minako was born but she seemed to hate being a housewife. She always said her husband never made enough money to live the lifestyle she wanted. Getting 10% of her daughter's earnings as her manager seemed to lift her spirits greatly. Minako felt badly for her father. Although he was happy for his daughter's success, he refused to spend any of the money his daughter offered him & keeps working as a salaryman in an office. Traveling takes them away from home often & she hated being away from him for so long in London. She doesn't see her dad as much as she'd like. Minako swore to herself that when he dad retires, she will treat him like a king & he'll want for nothing. Knowing his retirement fund wont have a lot, she secretly adds to it through her personal funds.

Since the age of majority in Japan is 20, her mother wants to make sure she had enough time to be a kid & go to school Being a Sailor Scout falls in that priority list too (though obviously her mother doesn't know about the latter). Even with moving to London for recording & working on Sailor V, Minako still went to a regular school. Hopefully her mom cash convince them to condense the promo appearances with her concert tour later in the summer so she can stay in school longer. The tutor is nice & all but Mina misses her friends & playing on the volleyball team. At one point, she was team captain until she was dropped from missing too many games. Her teammates couldn't emulate her signature move, so they suffered a brutal loss. Now it's the new season & she was anxious to try out again & get a shot at making it to nationals. Chances for that now are probably slim to none. Minako barely has time for a private life & Scout duties, how could she manage a team?

Hearing her phone chime, she unlocks it & checks the text from her mother. It's official, she starts touring Europe next week. Letting out an angry moan, she throws her phone across the room into the pile of plushes she collects accidentally startling Artemis. Usually she's apologetic but right now, the anger churning in her mind causes her to not notice what she did. Crossing the room to her closet, she pulls out a few suitcases & begins packing her clothes.

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Because the label is looking to reach out to other markets, they wanted the promo tour to go to Europe & America. The senior members think Minako can recreate BoA's success. At 11 years ole, BoA was discovered at a South Korean talent search, spent two years in dance & vocal training while learning Japanese & English. When she made her debut at 13, she was an instant success worldwide since her debut coincided with the early days of the internet. She was well known in America for almost a decade before she released an official English CD. Now she also sings in Mandarin Chinese & has movie offers.

BoA is a fellow talent Minako vehemently admires but to do all that she does required time & patience she feels she doesn't have anymore. As much as Mina loved this life, she loves her friends, the Scouts & her free time. No matter what she picks, half of her heart will break. Quitting her duties as Sailor Venus & not seeing the Scouts wasn't even an option but she didn't want to lose her school friends either! For a while, Minako wished she could go back to her early days of just print modeling & promo appearances because those were only a few times a week & rarely required long trips away from home. Ever since one of the label mates heard her singing while waiting for a modeling audition, she's been recording & touring. It was beginning to burn her out. At 16, she felt older & out of touch with her peers & bored with her life.

Looking out her window, she saw the clouds break apart to show the moon rising & a deep sapphire blue sky dotted with stars. Her past life was busy but not nearly as suffocating & she adored her mother & father. They nurtured Minako's musical talents but didn't force her into performances or keep her from what truly made her happy; sports. If she could turn back time & be Princess of Venus again, she would in a heartbeat but that's impossible now. Seeing a star fall from the sky in the distance, she only had one simple wish.

_"If someone could make this life complete instead of splitting me down the middle, I'd be so grateful…I cant do it all alone…"_

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Oh by the way, Have you guys seen Sailor Moon Crystal yet? I gotta admit I wasn't crazy about it. I thought they hyped up the show & it didn't deliver anything new. I'm gonna keep watching to see how it turns out though. I did enjoy feeling like a kid again watching it with my son though. He loved it & I love the theme song, Moon Pride! ^^


	2. Chapter 2: The familiar stranger

A/N: He's chapter 2! I didn't think I'd write this much or at all rather since Max is wide awake. Frozen helps solve lots of problems. He watches it at least once a day. I'll have to buy the DVD when Starz takes it off rotation. LOL Anyway, on with the chapter!

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Chapter 2: The familiar stranger

_"__Hito wa naze ichido dake shika ikiru CHANSU ga nai no  
Toki wa naze ichibyou sae mo tachidomaranai no darou_

_Why is it that people have but one chance to live life  
Why does time not stand still even for one second"_

When Minako was writing the songs for her new album last winter, she didn't realize how personal she was getting. Her earlier music was bouncy, carefree teen pop. While she still wrote pop songs, she was getting crafty with alluding to her secret life & missing her schooldays. Perhaps because the burden of living 3 lives was too much not being able to talk much about them, especially the magical one was breaking through in her songs. Once she noticed "C'est la vie" was close in pronunciation to Sailor V, she felt the song was her coming out to the world in a roundabout way. How funny is it that she wrote a song about being herself, being in love & being in the moment & she rarely has time to do any of that.

And one chance to live life? That was a joke. She had a life once before & a better one at that. Not that she doesn't love her present life but her past life haunts her the most at times when she feels lone or that life is getting out of control. Even though she was an only child then as well, she was her parents pride & joy & they never made her feel like she was a disappointment when she rather play ball than sing & play the piano.

In this time now, she's sitting in a coffee shop in near anonymity sipping a latte while looking over her schedule for the next 4 days. She landed in Paris, France late last night & all she wanted for now was peace & quiet. Lucky for her, the label needed to go over contract negotiations, so her mother is delayed in Japan until she goes to the next appearance in Germany next week. Normally Minako couldn't go out alone but since her label appointment a guardian, she let Minako go out by herself as long as she checked in frequently.

Although she's normally aware of her surroundings when she's out alone, Mina was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the gentleman behind her speaking to her. He settled for tapping her shoulder & she jumped, spilling the half full cup of coffee on her notes.

"Excusez-moi! Sorry, you're not French. I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you mademoiselle, but you but you looked so sad…are you alright?" a deep but gentle sounding voice asked her.

"No no…I mean yes, I'm ok but it's my fault I made a mess. I wasn't paying attention…" Minako said as she patted her notes with a napkin & looked up to see who was speaking. Almost at once, her heart went BOOM! CLAP! before falling to the floor.

The mysterious stranger had black hair in a medium length cut but combed back & out his face, dark brown eyes & lightly tanned skin. His smile made his whole face glow & suddenly Minako felt like she couldn't get a coherent word to form inside her mind. Normally she's boy crazy but not to the point of being speechless.

The man giggled a bit before gesturing to the chair across the table. "Would it be alright to sit or are you expecting company?"

"Uh…I um…no, please sit" Minako stuttered before looking back to her notes to conceal the furious blush rising on her cheeks.

"Thank you. And I insist upon buying you another latte" the man said as he sat down & waived to get the waitresses attention. "The lady will have another cup of what she ordered & I will have green tea & a slice of coffee cake. Make that two please!".

Minako waited until the waitress left to fill the order before speaking in case she sounded silly again. "Thank you, sir. That's very nice of you. And don't worry about the notes. I have other copies & I wasn't really reading them anyway".

"Why are you calling me sir? I'm a university student, so I can't be much older than you are. Please call me Bash." he said with a smirk. He seemed like a very playful guy & he was enjoying the moment they were sharing.

Minako blinked for a moment at the odd sounding name but she remembered that she was in a foreign country, so it may be a nickname of some sort. "Sorry, I'm all jumbled up. My name is Minako…er…Mina. If you can't tell, I'm visiting".

Bash nodded & put his backpack down on the window sill & leaning closer to the table. "Yes but you ordered your drink & greeted the waitress entirely in French. You must take the course in university, yes?"

Now it was Minako's turn to smirk & laugh a bit. "Hardly! I'm in my 2nd year of high school but I take a few advanced courses. Since I already know English, I elected to take a French course. So I'm in Intermediate French".

"OH, so that would make you….15?" Bash asked, twisting his lips while thinking of his answer.

"No, I just turned 17 this past October. In Japan, we go to high school at 15 & it's 3 years long. Oh thank you!" Minako said as she moved her papers so the waitress could put the drinks & cake down on the table. "I find it interesting that you ordered green tea. It's kind of an Asian thing & you live in France. You must have an appreciation of the culture".

Bash smiled knowingly before taking a small sip of his tea. "I should….I'm part Japanese".

Minako looked at him in shock as she chewed the bite of cake she just put in her mouth, which was good, albeit a bit sweet for her tastes. "Really? I mean your French is perfect & I can tell you were mixed with something but I didn't want to be rude by asking…"

"It's no trouble. Questions are not bothersome, honestly people are so politically correct these days for no reason. This is how you get to know people! Anyway, my father is Japanese & my mother is French. They met while she was an exchange student in university. She went to Japan to study chemistry & he was a psychology major. My family lived in Japan until I was about 7 & then we moved back to France. Sebastien is my grandfather's name. I was born on his birthday but they call me Bash for short. That & because I was a bit of a rowdy child" Bash said with a laugh.

Minako looked carefully at his features. He definitely has Asian eyes but he had a different build than most guys back home. He was tall, somewhat muscular but not bulging & the tan was a dead giveaway as well. Soon she realized she was staring & diverted her eyes to the window. For some reason though, she couldn't shake the feeling that they had met before.

"Wow, you certainly have an interesting background. That's awesome! Sorry to keep asking questions but have you been to Japan in recent years? I feel like I met you before. You're not that much older than me so maybe it was at school or maybe we ran into each other during festivals?" Minako quizzed with a hopefully tone. She was quite taken with this handsome stranger.

"Well most of my father's family is in Azabu-Juban but I haven't been there in about 2 years since I started university here. I admit it's because my father is disappointed I didn't take up a better career choice but I hope to visit soon to see if his opinion changed" Bash explained, taking Minako's free hand on top of the table.

Minako breath caught in her throat as his warm hand encircled hers. He was a complete stranger but this moment felt so right, so perfect & so…familiar. Looking into his eyes, they seemed to look right through her & into her soul. An instant connection (re)formed & she left completely at ease for the first time in years. But why?

Before she could say anything, her phone rang & broke them out of their little world. Sighing heavily, Minako reluctantly left go of Bash's hand. "Sorry, I'm out alone so I have to get this" she explained as she picked up the call. "Moshi moshi?….I'm sorry! I'll be right there! No, I'm fine! I was eating a snack & got to talking &…look, I'm coming now". Hanging up on her worried guardian, she looked at Bash apologetically & saw he was smiling at her with a look that says he knew what was going on but she couldn't figure out why.

"Thank you for cake & latte. I'm sorry I don't have cash, only a card but if you give me your address, I will reimburse you as soon as I get to my hotel" Minako said as she gathered her stuff together. "I'm running late for a….meeting". She didn't want to let on to who she was, not yet anyway. She liked the feeling of talking to someone without getting questions on her business life.

"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty lady pick up the tab? How about I give you my number & we keep talking? Maybe…go out? Is that phrase correct? My English jargon is a bit rusty" Bash said blushing a bit at his own naivety.

"Yes it is but I don't know….I'm only here for 4 days then I'm traveling before I go home….if I have to be honest, I really loved our time together but I don't want to be hung up on something that wont go beyond a corner coffee shop" Minako said as gently as she could. She really, REALLY liked this guy but she didn't want to string him along, or herself for that matter. She already had enough on her plate without worry about hurting a guy's feelings.

"Who says it wont? I'm not asking for forever, just a number…..& a chance" Bash told her with a reassuring smile.

Oh that _**smile **_will be the death of her! Before she realized what she was doing, Minako scribbled her personal cellphone number on the back of a business card from the coffee shop before kissing his cheek shyly & dashing out the shop. Waving for a cab, she struggled to catch her breath. The run wasn't far but Bash has long since taken her breath away. When the taxi stopped in front of her, she opened the door & paused. _I wonder if he's watching me go…_

Turning back slowly, she looked back to the coffee shop & saw Bash in the doorway of the shop, still holding the card in his hand. He smile at her again & waved. Smiling at the sight, Minako got into the cab & watched his figure disappear in the rearview mirror as the car drove down the road.

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A/N: I should let everyone know now I never took French. I only know a few words & phrases, so dont expect Bash to speak it. If you watch Reign, you'll see the inspiration behind the name but I based the character's looked on Ian Anthony Dale. He's so gorgeous! He's Japanese, French & English.

Oh & the song excerpt is not mine either. It's from PGSM, the live action Sailor Moon show. Did anyone catch the other recent hit song I referenced in the fix? ^^


	3. Chapter 3: Unfinished love

Author's note: So I finally got something for Sailor Venus going! YAY! I kinda felt bad she never got her fic from me. I planned one writing one for each scout & I started one for her a few years ago but I never finished it. I like the way this one is going, so i'll make this one her official fic for the series. I more than made up for it writing out 6 pages in a span of a few hours with a teething baby! Anyway, enjoy! ^^

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Chapter 3: Unfinished love

Later on after appearing on a radio show & having a dinner meeting, Minako laid on her bed in the hotel room, taking time to admire the city's skyline. And wondering about the mysterious stranger…Bash. Her only regret of the encounter was that she didn't get his number as well. What if he never calls or texts her?

_"__Oh this is ridiculous. I'm going nuts over a 30 minute conversation. He's the one who said he wanted the chance, so he should be the one to initiate the first move….I hope. And it's not like I cant find him again if I wanted to….God, that sounded so stalkerish But why am I thinking about him so deeply?"_

Her snow white cat companion hopped onto bed after finishing his dinner of salmon & creme & settled down near Minako's head. Seeing her dazed expression, he gently swatted her nose to get her attention. "With that look on your face, I'd say you were orbiting your home planet. Let me guess, tall, dark & handsome?" Artemis said rolling his eyes. He figured Minako was thinking about some dreamy guy she saw from afar.

"Bash was all of that, yeah but this was no passing crush…I looked at him & all of a sudden…I couldn't breathe! And then I couldn't form a single coherent thought & I stumbled over my words. My flirting skills have officially died" Minako said with a laugh before turning serious again. "I hope he calls though. He seemed really sweet".

"Did you say Bash?! As in Sebastien?" Artemis asked, shooting up in bed hitting Minako's chin in the process.

"Ouch! And yes….why? You know him or something?" Minako asked as she sat up rubbing her throbbing chin.

"This is weird…I didn't think he would be born into this time. I know you both had recently grown closer….but I wasn't sure…He was just a friend right?" Artemis walked closer to Minako as he spoke, cornering her in the king sized bed.

"Whoa, hey! Ok one, I have NO idea what you're talking about & two, I just met the guy seven hours ago! Don't think this is like with Rei & Chad. I didn't have a boyfriend or husband during the Silver Millennium. Maybe you're just thinking of someone with the same name. I mean it's not that uncommon" Minako told Artemis as she tried to rationalize what went on today but even she knew that this was too odd to be a mere coincidence.

Artemis' expression grew sad as he looked at his princess. The running joke amongst the scouts was how forgetful Minako was but he knows this isn't a case of just teenage flightiness. This was a very painful part of the past that he had yet to awaken in her memories & he honestly hope the day would never come. But you cant beat the subconscious, fate or the heart's memories.

"No Mina…" Artemis walked closer to her, calmly this time & sat in her lap. "You didn't just meet him. You did know him & you were together…sort of. I'll show you."

The crescent moon on his forehead glowed & a golden beam shot out onto Minako's forehead. She felt her body grow heavy & her mind sleepy. Soon she felt a jolt of electricity blast through her mind & in that second the hotel room faded & she found herself sitting in a dimly lit room. It took her a moment to get the numbing feeling out of her body & clear her head before she could stand up & check her surrounds.

The room was expansive, dotted with ornate furniture, tables with priceless china figures & a clear space in the center, probably for dancing. The floor to ceiling windows on one side let the late afternoon light in, which was masked by a yellow-like fog. The lacquer coated wood walls were overlaid with a gold lace pattern & the wall was covered with paintings of formal dressed people that looked vaguely familiar. Her eyes soon fell upon one that made her smile every time she came into it. The man in the picture was young, appearing to be about 20, standing tall & proud with a hint of a smile on his face. His striking blue eyes can see right through you, even in a painting. The crown of Venus standing out on his dirty blonde hair.

"Daddy…..this is Magellan Castle!….I'm HOME!" Minako exclaimed excitedly as she ran to the windows to look out over the gardens & into the famous fog that always seemed to surround the castle. Looking past that, you can see the land of Aphrodite below. One thing the royal family of Venus was known for was the beautiful castle that floated in the sky. She rarely got to see her own past memories of home since the significant parts of her history happened on the Moon with the others, so this moment was all the more precious to her, even though she didn't know why she was brought back here.

A joyful squeal broke her thoughts before the door to the room burst open. At first Minako jumped & tried to look for a place to hide but remembered that they wouldn't be able to see her since this was just a memory. Instead she looked towards the door to see what was going on.

A young man broke through the door & laughed triumphantly before doing a small jig in the center of the room. A young girl ran in on his heels. She was wearing a long orange dress made in a light gauzy fabric that seemed to float in the air as she ran. Good thing too since she tackled the young man to the ground & began to play hit him & grew mad as he laughed & blocked her blows.

"I had you beat until you tripped me, you jerk!" the Princess yelled at him & grabbed a fist full of his midnight hair.

"Hey if you wanna run like a boy, you have to be ready to fight like one!" he told her before gently twisting her arm & flipping her onto her back before straddling her. He was careful not to use all of his strength in the move however. The Princess may be a tomboy but she could still injure her if he went overboard, so he did just enough to flip her over.

Princess Minako frowned playfully before laying back to catch her breath. Looking up at the ceiling, she took notice of the chandelier in the center of the room. The yellow toned crystals shimmered in the daylight casting faint golden orange glow over her sweaty skin that didn't go unnoticed by the man hovering above her. He gently moved to lay next to her but still hadn't broken his gaze.

"Sorry to pull you from lessons but I was deathly bored & needed something to do. Mother & father went away for the weekend & my music lessons were canceled for today, so I pretty much have this wing of the castle all to myself. I'm glad too otherwise my instructor probably would have fainted seeing us trample through the halls like wild animals." the Princess said as she wiped her sweaty bangs out her face & removed the lopsided tiara off her tousled hair. The imperial topaz stones shining brilliantly against the white gold.

"Oh yes, because I so desperately wanted to hear Mr. Milzor speak about crown history & our twin planet" the young man said faking a hurt tone. "Besides, it's not often a noble can say they were PERSONALLY requested by the Princess of Venus for an audience".

Reaching over, she slapped his arm & smirked. "What was I supposed to say?! "Oh I'm bored so let my friend out of class"? If I didn't make it sound like official business, the teacher would be suspicious.".

Hearing the word "friend", the young man frowned slightly & looked down at the shiny wood floors at his reflection. He sighed a little too loudly because he caught the Princess's attention causing her to turn on her side & prop her head against her hand to look at him. The motion made her golden hair fall down her back & spill over the floor like a golden curtain a motion that seemed almost criminal in his mind.

"What's wrong? I mean…if you didn't want to spend time with me, I can have Rodello escort you back to class…" the Princess said, trying not to sound hurt at her own suggestion.

"No! No…it's not that at all…I just…" the dark haired man stopped to take in a shaky breath before his arm shot across the small distance between them & pulled the Princess in closer. Before she realized what was going on, she felt a pair of warm lips press against her, nervous but lovingly. What surprised her even more was feeling her self respond to the kiss by leaning in & her arm snaking under his to grip his shoulder & pull him in closer.

After a few moments, the man pulled away quickly & scooted across the floor before standing up. He had a look of panic on his face after realizing he just about forced himself on this young woman, who was Princess of his home planet. Even though it felt good & right, he shouldn't have done so without asking first. He nervously tugged the tunic of his school uniform down before turning away, feeling a blush crawl up his cheek & ears.

"P-princess, forgive me! I'm so, so sorry about my actions. I should never have done that without asking…I mean, I…well…", the poor man was so overwhelmed that he couldn't form a clear word in his mind & he felt himself growing more embarrassed by the second.

Princess Minako had to hold back a laugh as she stood up. Knowing this man all her life, she knew he could be easily flummoxed in some situations. That's part of what made him so cute, although she didn't have a clue he felt this way. Well, she noticed little things in how he treated her over the past few years as they were becoming adults, but she figured it was because they were lifelong friends. Sometimes things can seem romantic when you're just close. Somehow though, the Princess had a feeling she was very wrong in a very good way.

Walking up to the man slowly, she reached a hand up to rest on his shoulder. She felt the slight shudder under he hand but didn't comment on it as she didn't want to unintentionally embarrass him any further. She decided to let him set the pace for a moment & was relieved when he slowly turned around but kept his gaze at their feet. It hurt her a little that he felt so ashamed of his innocent actions that he couldn't look her in the eyes.

She frowned gently before reaching a small had up & cupping his cheek. "Bash…it's alright…please look at me. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise!".

Bash let out a breath before slowly looking up at her face & visibly relaxed when he saw the smile on her face & the soft pink blush on her cheeks. "Sorry…it's just that…I didn't know how you would react if I said what I wanted to say. And I never kissed a girl before so I was really nervous & everything just went completely out of order. I had it in mind to tell you how I felt, then ask if I could kiss you but my nerves jumbled it all up…" he admitted, sounding more like a scared kid than a man of almost 20.

"Well then…allow me to put your mind at ease…" Princess Minako said before pulling him down by his collar & crushing her lips onto his. She wrapped her arms around his neck to close the gap between them. This motion surprised Bash too as he didn't think she would ever be so forward. A Princess is usually a reserved, gentle figure but the Princess of Venus was known as anything but that. That was partly what drew him to her as they got older. Other princesses & noble girls acted like they were too good or too important to mingle with other nobles or play in sports. Minako was a straight tomboy from birth but lucky for her, the king & queen nurtured her talents rather than make her bow down to traditions & society.

When they broke away for air, Bash reached down to pick up Princess Minako & swung her around in his arms, hugging her closely causing her to giggle. They may have roughhoused & played since they were children but this was the first time they had ever been this close to each other in an intimate setting, so he savored this moment & wanted to keep it going as long as possible before traditions & ritual took over again when the king & queen returned.

"Princess, I—" Bash began before the girl in his arms cut him off.

"Really Bash, we were kissing on the floor of the great room, I think you can call me by my first name" the Princess said with a smirk.

"Minako…." he began, loving the feeling of being so informal, free & having years old burdens lifted off his shoulders.. "You have no idea how long I wanted to tell you all that"

"Why haven't you? I wouldn't have rejected you. In fact, you could have spared me some awkward moments with some other guys" Princess Minako said, looking rather embarrassed at how some of her flirting encounters went. It was hard to flirt when almost everyone in the galaxy knows who you are before entering a room.

"I'm nothing compared to you. I come from a noble background but I don't have nearly as much money to keep you in the lifestyle your position affords you. I felt you might have been embarrassed to be with me" Bash confessed, looking ashamed at his own situation. He was by no means poor but certainly not up to the level of the royal family. Nobility is sometimes mostly titles more than money & assets.

"Sebastien! I don't think like that at all! And neither do mother & father. Obviously so or I would be stuck in corsets & heels & be paraded about like a prized farm animal. Don't you ever think like that again. Times have changed. Look at Rei! She's getting married to one of her former knights & you know how strict her father used to be" Princess Minako told him as she moved the hair out his eyes. "Speaking of Rei, I need to get going! I should have been getting ready to leave an hour ago!".

"Another function? Just as we get together, you have something to do. Do you HAVE to go? We may never get the chance to be alone for a while" Bash said, hoping he didn't sound whiny. He just really wanted some uninterrupted time with his princess before giving her a present he had planned on presenting her after confessing his feelings.

"I'll only be gone a week! Being that my mother & father are away, I am the planetary official that must go. Besides, this is the first time in a long time my friends will be together. It'll fly by before you know it, sweet Bash!" Princess Minako kissed his nose & started walking towards the door. "And when I get back, we'll tell everyone everything! Well, maybe we can leave the kissing in the great room out but just tell them we're a couple".

"Minako!" Bash called before she walked out. Seeing her turn & look at him to see what he wanted to say made him get flustered again, but this time he didn't mind the feeling knowing they were on the same page. "…I love you" The words came out so innocent & quiet that Princess Minako almost cried. She wasn't aware how strong his feelings were until that very moment. And suddenly she realized that she was in love with her best friend as well.

"I love you too, Bash. And dont worry, I wont let any boys at the costume ball on the Moon kingdom kiss me while I'm away!' Princess Minako said with a wink before walking out the door.

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Minako stood in shocked silence watching the scene unfold in front of her. As she watched the memory play out & seeing the elated look on Bash's face before he left the room, she felt a chill run through her. She knew that in 4 days, her past self & her friends would be dead after a vicious, bloody fight with the Negaverse. Now she realized why Bash felt so familiar to her but she couldn't recall why. They never got beyond their initial confession of feelings, which left a void in both their lives. But if she & the other scouts were killed, how was Bash reborn into the present time at their same ages? Surely he went on to live a normal life, right?

The room in front of her cracked & shattered into millions of pieces before she opened her eyes & noticed Artemis had broken the connection & she was back in her hotel room in Paris, France. Her personal phone rang out of no where startling her & she picked it up to answer it, feeling the pain wash over her all over again.

"H-hello?" Minako stuttered while trying to calm herself down.

"Mina! It's Rei! Are you ok?" Rei's usually calm voice was close to frantic on the phone though she sounded relieved her friend answered the phone.

"Uh..yeah, yeah I'm good. Just…you wont believe what happened to me today" Minako said as she leaned back on the headboard thinking about all that just went on in her head & at that cafe earlier. She chuckled a bit hearing Chad tell Rei that it's 6am & way too early to be calling back several time zones before Rei hushed him.

"I KNOW that Chad! I just had a vision in my dreams & I had to check on her to make sure everything was fine. Is it, Mina?" Rei pressed her friend to be sure her vision wasn't true & just a bad dream.

"Depends, what did you see? Right now I'm just in my hotel about to go to sleep…if my own mind lets me" Minako told Rei as she eased out of her jeans & tossed them into a chair across the room.

"It wasn't clear. I saw blood around your spirit, but I also felt pain from someone I'm not close to & it was tied closely to you & to tragedy. It seems familiar but I can't say how or why. I need to sit in front of the sacred fire to see it clearly but I couldn't without making sure you were ok…." Rei explained, sounding unsure herself of what it all was. Sometimes dreams were not literal but it was vivid enough to frighten her & she's one of the most levelheaded of the 5 scouts.

"Blood?" Minako thought out loud. Thinking back to her recently unlocked memories, she saw herself four days before her death & the battle was bloody. Recalling her own death, she shuddered violently but couldn't think of who else could be surrounded by blood & tragedy. It couldn't be the scouts because Rei said it was someone she wasn't close to but someone connected to Minako. Hearing her phone beep, she looked at the screen of her phone & saw "unknown international call" pop up. Putting the phone on speaker, she told Rei to hang on while she answered the other call.

"Hello?"

"Mina? It's Bash….can we talk?"

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A/N: I bet you didn't see that coming did you? ;) Early disclaimer for the next chapter: Things will get heavy. Depending on how I write it, I may have to put a trigger warning up. Just giving you a heads up!


	4. Chapter 4: Recollection

Author's note: Plot bunnies are invading my mind! I'm still having a difficult time finishing "Where you belong". I explained to my friend Kimberly (HI KIM! ^^v) that I have the ending all worked out but I need to finish the middle! It's annoying to know how the story ends but cant get the in-between part done.

I think I have a good ending for this fic, so this is the last chapter. These last two have been long so I don't feel like I short changed anyone. This is my first chapter with a TRIGGER WARNING attached to it though. If you're sensitive to reading or hearing about certain things, you may want to skip this chapter. I wasn't descriptive but I'm covering my butt just in case.

SM*SM*SM*SM

Chapter 4: Recollection

Minako clicked back over to Rei & told her she would call her back in a few hours before hastily hanging up. Going back over to the other line, she took the phone off speaker & pressed it against her ear.

"Hey….um…I didn't expect to hear from you so soon….Bash" Minako said, still reeling from the past few moments.

"Are you alright? You sound shaken up. I know it's late & I apologize for that but I needed to hear your voice again. I had a feeling something was troubling you" Bash explained, sounding much like his past self, so innocent & shy.

"Actually no…we do need to talk but I don't feel like sitting in my room anymore. Can you meet me by the….Medici fountain?" Minako randomly named off a spot that she could walk to from her hotel. It's a famous fountain nestled in a Parisian park that she passed by earlier today.

"I don't mind but are you sure you want to go out alone at this late hour? I wouldn't mind going to your hotel" Bash offered.

"No really, I can't stay in here & I need to ask you about something. Just be there please. I'm leaving now" Mina told him before hanging up. She pulled her jeans back on, slipped into her shoes & grabbed a light jacket before rushing out the door, leaving a stunned Artemis standing on the bed.

The cat wasn't hurt by her sudden exit, Artemis understood they needed time alone to talk. He just hoped for her sake that things went in a positive direction. The past had not been kind to either of the two & he hoped Bash could answer all her questions since there was no explanation he could give as to why the young man was reincarnated.

SM*SM*SM*SM

Minako shuddered slightly as she sat on a bench beside the massive fountain. It may be late spring but there was still a cool breeze blowing & the cotton jacket that was fine earlier was now all too thin for this weather. Hugging herself tightly, she looked around to see if she could find a silhouette coming out of the dar that resembled Bash There were a few people out & about but mainly couples or someone walking a dog.

Soon after she checked her watch for the 8th time in 5 minutes, she felt a warm weight on her shoulders. Looking behind her, she saw Bash putting his leather jacket on her shoulders. Smiling, he sat down next to her & scooted over to keep her warm. "I didn't have time to tell you that the weather at night can be chilly in the spring. I'm glad I had the mind to bring a jacket".

"Thank you. Sorry I just…remembered somethings & the room I was in suddenly became stifling & I had to get out" Minako uttered in a small voice, trying not to rehash it in her mind. How crazy would she sound talking about a past life to someone that probably is just a coincidence. "Anyway, this fountain is gorgeous. It reminds me of one back home. I used to play in it during the summer with some friends".

Bash looked at Minako with a serious expression, wondering if she would implode if he mentioned what he knew about her. It would be a complete disaster if they weren't on the same page. But since this may be the only chance he has to talk to her about this alone, he decides to risk it. "Are you talking about your home in Japan or the Magellan Castle?"

Minako let out a sharp gasp hearing the last 2 words of his question. She jumped up like she had been bitten & back away slowly. "How…how did you know about that? About me? You're from the Negaverse arent you?!" Minako shouted at him, thoroughly freaked out by this. The memory she just relived played in her heard but she was still having trouble believing it. The phone call from Rei certainly didn't help & so much surrounding the man named Bash is not adding up in her mind.

"Oh goodness, no! Far from it! I was one of your best friends back home on Venus! PLEASE, you've got to remember. I was Sebastien. My family was part of the royal court. I was a year & a half older than you & we attended school together too. Well, that was before you started taking private lessons due to you becoming close to the age of majority. The advisors though you would be better with one on one instruction" Bash explained, sounding in a panic himself. He was worried Minako would run off before he could finish explaining himself.

"Anyone from the past could know that if they spied hard enough. How do I know we were actually together. I didn't have a boyfriend. In fact, on my last day, I was the only one fighting alone" Minako shook her head, feeling a headache coming on. As she said those words, she had a nagging feeling she was wrong but didn't want to admit it. The memory alone was proof but why had she forgotten it until now?

"I can prove it to you. We grew close in the hour before you left for the moon kingdom. I kissed you & freaked out thinking I had forced myself on you. I wanted you so much & I was incredibly nervous. Sort of like now. I couldn't help it. You looked so beautiful in the afternoon light & you were flushed from running & your hair…I'm rambling now but I remember it so clearly. We were going to tell everyone we were a couple when you got back from the ball but…" Bash trailed off not wanting to finish the though even though they knew what had happened.

"I know….I died" Minako finished for him.

Bash looked up at her, his face twisted in an angry mask of hurt & pain. "No, you were MURDERED! It was all the earth people's fault. The darkness followed them & because you swore to help the Moon, you died fighting their battle! I knew it was a bad decision. I didn't want you to go in the first place but you insisted you had to being a planetary official. I've never forgiven them for that".

"Bash, they were….are my best friends & allies, I had to help them! It wasn't their fault I got killed. The Prince of Earth was on our side & trying to achieve peace. He died fighting with us!" Minako disclosed, coming to the aid of her friends. There was a lot going on in secret about the peace mission that no one knew about.

"What happened to you?" Bash questioned out of nowhere.

"When I was reborn?" Minako asked. "I was born in Tokyo, just like the others".

"No on the moon…how did you die?" Bash clarified.

Minako was silent for a second before taking a step towards him. "That's not a story you want to hear, Bash".

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't have brought it up. All I knew was that the moon was attacked & you were gone. Your parents didn't have a body to bury & we were left with no explanations. I HAVE to know, Mina!" Bash begged, grabbing her hand. He feared at any moment, they could both wake up & be on opposite sides of the world again with no resolutions.

Nodding slowly, the blonde woman thought back to the last memory of her past life. Sighing heavily, she began to tell him what happened. "I had the Holy Blade…it was a remarkable sword. It was made of stone but it could shatter diamond. I used it to kill Queen Beryl before giving to to Sailor Jupiter to free the Princess & then I left to find Rei so we could regroup. I ran into the gardens because that was the last place I had seen her. There were so many bodies everywhere but I knew Chad was wearing his own planetary uniform, so I would be able to spot him & Rei in an instant. Before I could get a move on, I ran into one of the generals, Kunzite. The bastard had the nerve to tell me he actually loved me, while standing in the blood of my friends & allies. He said if I went to the side of the Negaverse, I wouldn't be harmed & he would protect my planet."

She stopped momentarily feeling Bash's hand twitch. She gave it a reassuring squeeze before continuing. "Don't worry, Sweet Bash, I told him no. Actually I told him hell no & I'd rather die than betray my friends or be with slime like him. I think he was more hurt by the insult than the rejection because he was so arrogant & sure of himself in both times. Anyway, he started to fight me by pulling a sword out of his cape & lunging but I managed to call out for the love chain & catch his arm. With his free hand, he pulled out a dagger & slashed at me. It was so quick & painless that at first, I laughed. I laughed in his face because I though he missed & I couldn't feel anything. Then I felt something warm & wet on my chest & stomach before getting light headed & I fell to the ground. I couldn't breathe after a moment. I realized afterwards that he had slit my throat with his weapon. After a moment, I blacked out &…that was it."

Bash snatched his hand away from Minako & covered his face letting out a small cry. He felt the tears burning his eyes before they fell down his cheeks. He felt horrible that he couldn't do anything to help her then & she died so…violently & alone with that inhumane bastard. "Why couldn't they find you? They sent help to bury the dead & help the survivors but they found none of the princesses or their escorts". The question was muffled by his hands. He couldn't bring himself to look at her feeling weak for crying in front of her.

"Queen Serenity used the last of her strength to send us all 1,000 years into the future to live again. She locked up the Negaverse & sealed most of them away in Crystals. She also sent Luna & Artemis in case they reawakened & our powers had to be summoned. My memories were reawakened a year before the other girls because I still had my duty to protect Princess Serenity. As for the pop star persona…well that was a product of my current life. That's a whole different story to tell." Minako explained, feeling the familiar sting of hurt as Bash covered his face. "Bash, please look at me…."

Hearing those familiar words again, Bash looked up at Minako, his eyes rimmed with water & grabbed her in a hug. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have come on so strong. I thought you remembered everything when I saw you in the coffee shop. When I realized you didn't, I tried to pretend that I just met you but….it was hard to pretend nothing was the same…I was going to call & tell you everything but then you insisted on coming here. I knew something was off when I heard your voice but I didn't have time to ask you. How did you remember?"

"Artemis" Minako said with a smile. "He showed me my last memories on Venus. I rarely get to see those because all my significant Sailor Scout history happened on the moon. I was so happy to see my home again, the paintings….& then I saw you. We were rough housing in the great room".

Bash smiled brightly, recalling that memory & the castle. "And outside the windows, you can see the garden with the fountain! That's why you wanted to come here. It makes sense now"

Minako nodded before her smile fell. "Bash, I have to ask you something…& I need to know the truth. We were reincarnated because we had died on the moon. How is it you're here now at the exact same age. Didn't you live on during that time?"

Bash looked down at her, not sure how he could tell her of his actions. "no….I didn't". Guiding her back to the bench he sat her down & took her hand again. "Word got back to us the next day of the attack on the moon. My family was having lunch with the king & queen. A messenger ran into the main dining room &…we just knew. He didn't have to say a word…the look on his face said it all, even when the king grabbed him & shook him for an answer. Your mother started screaming & became inconsolable. My parents took her to our house so she could grieve in private but your father didn't want to believe you were gone. He sent his own brigade to the moon to find you & help the survivors. They found Queen Serenity but no one else". He paused for a moment debating on whether or not he should continue. After taking a moment to compose yourself, he finished his story.

"After they left Venus to attend her funeral, I went back to the great room. It hurt me to be there knowing that we just shared our feelings in it less than a week ago & you were gone. I couldn't take the pain & grieving alone because no one else knew about us. Your parents were having a hard time, so i didn't want to burden them. I don't even think I realized what happened until it was over. I opened up one of the windows & closed my eyes. When I opened them again briefly, for the last time, I was laying in the garden by the fountain. I vaguely remembered hearing someone call my name & hearing a maid scream for help but by that time, I was already gone. In this time, I think I was maybe 12 or 13 when I started getting my memories back but by then, I was living in Paris & I thought I'd never find you…until today".

Now it was Minako's turn to cry. He killed himself over her! She felt guilty that she never even told her parents or friends what was going on before she was killed. If someone could have been there for him, he wouldn't have killed himself. Hugging his arm, she leaned against him, her nose nuzzling his neck. "Oh Bash…I'm so sorry…I feel like this is my fault! If I had told someone…they could have comforted you & helped you to move on. When I said I wanted to tell people when I got home, I didn't mean it to sound like a secret or that I didn't want it known….I just wanted to savor the feeling, you know? I had no idea it would turn into a Romeo & Juliet situation. Naturally I would have wanted you to move on & be happy".

"How could I be happy if my other half was gone?" Bash asked, before leaning down & kissing her again.

Minako returned the kiss & wrapped her arms around him. She finally felt that missing piece of her heart fill up with love. That feeling of separate lives finally started to blend into one now knowing what, or rather who she was missing. She wondered though what would happen to them. They live on opposite sites of the world & in vastly different cultures. It would be disastrous if Minako moved away while she was still a Scout. Her entertainment career can go anywhere but not Sailor Venus, not yet at least.

She gently broke the kiss & looked into Bash's dark brown eyes. "Um…before I get too excited, what's going to happen with us? I mean, I still have my Scout duties….& can't leave Japan permanently…but I don't want to leave you either".

Bash smirked & waved a hand in the air. "It's nothing to worry over. I'm grown & there are universities in Japan. Besides, I still want to visit my father & see if his mood has changed. I can get an apartment near you & when you're old enough, we can move in together…maybe get married..if..if you wanted. Not that I'm trying to make you decided anything now! I know we just met again…I mean…I need to be quiet now, I'm getting nervous again".

Minako giggled & held his face in her hands to make sure he didn't look away again. "Honestly Sebastian, after being separated by 1,000 years & violent deaths, do you really believe I'd say no? Because I'm saying yes".

Bash took a moment to fully register what she meant & broke out into a grin. "You are?! But I haven't even officially asked you yet & I don't have a ring…but I do have something to give you". Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small orange box with a yellow bow & handed it to Minako. "Before you left the castle, I told you I had something to give you when you returned. I had it in my pocket when I died & when I was 13, I saw this in a jewelry shop & I felt compelled to buy it. I couldn't figure out why but it all made sense as I got older & remembered us.

Smiling, she took the small box & lifted the lid. Nestled on a small pillow was a cushion cut imperial topaz pendant on a white gold chain. The golden orange stone shimmered in the dim street light & reminded her of the tiara she wore as Princess Venus. Even when she tried to find this stone on earth, she never found any that matched the brilliance of the ones she had as a princess. The fact that he found this & saved it for 7 years made her heart swell & she felt more love in that moment than she did in her whole life.

"Sweet Bash, you were always so thoughtful. I can't believe you saved this all these years. This looks terribly expensive too!" Minako told him as she cradled the necklace in her hands.

"Well, you are my princess & you deserve the best" Bash told while he picked up the necklace & clasped it around her neck.

"I got the best when you sat with me in the coffee shop" Minako replied leaning forward to kiss him again. Thinking back to when she was 13 & had her memories reawakened, she remembered a song she wrote about someone she didn't know…or couldn't remember. The lyrics finally made sense to her years later. They were about the love story that never got to to have it's beginning, until now.

_Sweet days  
Tokidoki kumo no kirema ni taiyou ga kao o dasu you ni  
Omoi kaesu hi ga kuru yo soshite tsurakute mo egao de ite  
Naki dashisou na toki ni koso waratte  
Sore ga ikiru akashi dakara_

_Sweet days  
Just like how the Sun sometimes shows his face through the clouds,  
I'm sure you'll see me again and keep smiling, even if things get tough.  
When you're sad is the best time to smile.  
Because it shows you are alive._


End file.
